The present invention relates generally to a cotton harvester and more particularly to a moistener column for a cotton picker row unit.
In a conventional cotton harvester, a pair of upright picker drums with laterally extending and vertically spaced picking spindles are supported within a row unit housing for projecting into the path of a row of cotton plants to remove the cotton therefrom. A doffing mechanism within the row unit removes the cotton from the spindles and discharges the cotton into a conveying system. After the cotton is doffed from the spindles, the spindles pass under the pads of a vertical moistener column which clean plant juices and other debris from the surface of the spindles. The moistener column includes an upright frame carrying a plurality of pad support arms which project laterally toward the spindles. Each pad support arm carries a flexible moistener pad having fins which project downwardly into a wiping relationship with the passing spindles. A fluid supply system extends through the column and provides cleaning fluid through each of the arms to the pads. The column is supported from an upper panel of the row unit by an adjustable bracket arrangement which permits the column to be adjusted vertically so that the fins of the pads are in proper wiping relationship with the passing spindles.
The moistener column requires regular servicing, for example, to replace worn or cracked and broken moistener pads. At other times it may be necessary to service other areas adjacent the moistener column. Heretofore, servicing the moistener columns and the adjacent areas of the picking units has been difficult because the column is bolted in a position that is hard to access. Typicaly, the column is at the forward pass of the spindles on the picker drum adjacent the row receiving area. It is necessary that the pads project into the paths of the spindles on the drum, and therefore removing the pads is a difficult and time-consuming task.
The moistener pads includes a base portion which must be stretched over the pad receiving portions of the pad arms. To prevent the pads from coming off during picker operation, a very tight fit is provided. This makes removal of the pad and attachment of the pad very difficult, particularly in the limited space available around the moistener column. To attach a pad, it is necessary that the operator reach around the back of the pad to pull it onto the pad receiving portion of the arm, which is a very tedious task because of the space limitations.